Kate Towers, Restaurant Manager

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A Year in the Life

Kate Towers, Restaurant Manager

Before the onset of the pandemic, Rochelle Canteen‘s restaurant manager and front-of-house lead Kate Towers was mentally preparing for the rush of another busy summer.

But with a rollercoaster of a year that’s seen businesses shutter and reopen at the drop of a hat, it’s been a taxing experience. “There’s been a lot of stop and starting, and the anxiety that comes with that. I remember when we first reopened out of lockdown and I completely forgot how to speak to customers”, she says.

As for so many others in the industry, the moment has afforded a pause for self-reflection. “I’ve learned a lot both personally and within the industry. There’s a movement to make hospitality more sustainable, which I fully support. Reasonable hours, better pay, more enjoyment for restaurants and customers.”

In addition to missing the spontaneity of restaurants, the past year has reminded her of the joy of working outside in Rochelle Canteen’s garden as well as the camaraderie of working with her team. For those fortunate enough to have snagged a table in April, she’s unequivocal: “To diners coming back — we can’t wait to have you”.

Her story of the last 12 months follows.

March 2020. The fish finger wrap. What with the unknown, all sorts of anxiety and a lot of time on our hands, my boyfriend Arunas and I put a lot of energy into perfecting the fish finger (breakfast) wrap. Including homemade sauerkraut! A nod to his Lithuanian roots.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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April 2020. Rochelle Canteen remained closed throughout the lockdown. When I headed in before reopening, our beautiful grape vine had gone mad and outgrown us! It was magic — I wish Patrick the gardener didn't have to trim it down.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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May 2020. Comes as a surprise, but I stayed busy painting peoples' cats on request (a secret side hustle of mine — painting pets). This little darling is called Roodle, and was a pleasure to paint and a great distraction.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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June 2020. I'm not sure there's a park in South East London that's been left untouched by us during the last year. With warmer weather came more walks out and about — also featuring the king of the house, our housemate's chihuahua Pepper.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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July 2020. A balmy evening, and an enjoyable, spontaneous meal out at Larry's.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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August 2020. Rochelle reopened and oh my days, how good it did feel. The garden was looking lush and I was so happy to have people back through the door, and to be part of the team again. Lockdown made me realise that working at Rochelle, especially as FOH, you often take for granted spending half the year outside in the garden.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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August 2020. Sadly, I don't have many photos of Rochelle whilst we were open — it was busy. But here's one escaping the city to a river just out of London for the day, which felt like a mini-break.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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September 2020. We managed to make it down to the sea with my best mate. After being stuck in a flat with no outdoor space, having a dip in the sea was pure joy.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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September 2020. Patrick! Said gardener. Returning to work in between the lockdowns makes for a greater appreciation for all the people you work with. Patrick has worked at Rochelle School keeping things ship-shape for the last 15 years. He's an icon.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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October 2020. The tent goes up! A real life saver for us at Rochelle. Normally in colder months, we are a 36-seater inside restaurant, with shared tables. This tent allowed us to power through.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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November 2020. One of my (and the nation's) lockdown superheroes, Ravneet Gill, delivered us the perfect cookie recipe. Baking was a good distraction from winter blues.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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December 2020. A socially distanced Christmas in lockdown. We piled into my cousin's delivery van to go and drink something bubbly with my brother and his family in the park; later followed by sausage sauce pasta and The Godfather. Christmas ended up being better than expected.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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February 2021. Family Zooms! To my dad's despair, there were facetimes/Zooms pretty much on a daily basis over the last year, my brother's birthday being a highlight when we ventured into the world of restaurant meal kits and had a real treat.

Image Courtesy Kate Towers

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A Year in the Life

Kate Towers, Restaurant Manager

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